Everyday Changes

September is MY Favorite!

2009-09-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

It seems like the best things happen in September. Fall is in the air, school starts back, county fairs, birthday celebrations and relationship milestones.

10 years ago on September 7th, Matthew and I had our first date. We were suppose to meet at our college's cafeteria for a non-comittal dinner. When we met, Matthew said that he had come in to some money (meaning his mom put some money in his account) so we went to China King in Abliene. We still like Chinese food and each other.

(About to go on a much needed date!)

3 years ago on September 18th my sweet daughter, Audrey, was born. Everyone says that they grow up so fast but when it is your own child it seems even faster. She has been such a blessing to us and I can't imagine life without her. What did we talk about before kids came? Audrey had a great Lantern Party, Ni Hao, Kai Lan style.

(This was my first semi-professional birthday cake! What do ya think?)

A couple of years ago was the last time I went to a County Fair unitl now. I love going to fairs and the great food they have! I was a little disappointed in the Gregg County which does not hold a candle to the Lubbock County Fair. We had a great time anyway with some good friends.

A lot of great songs come into my head as I think back...to some great times.

Myles is Here!

2009-08-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay so I know it has been over a week since Myles has come but I have many excuses for not posting pictures sooner. We have really been enjoying our little guy and spoiling him a lot. Myles came on Thursday, August 6th at 6:04 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19" long. My prayer before he came was that I would know for sure when I was having true labor and that he would come naturally. Well God answered most of my prayer. Wednesday evening I started having regular contractions close together but they were managable. I kept waiting for something more intense but nothing ever came. Thursday morning I decided that I was most likely going to be in the hospital that day. However I was unsure if I was in true labor. By the time we went to the doctor's office for my appointment I was dilated to a 5/6 and the doctor told me to get over to the hospital to have that baby! Four hours after we got to the hospital, Myles was born.
Don't get me wrong, I had plenty of pain towards the end of my laboring but the nurse helping us out was pretty amazed at how far along I was without having much pain (I was amazed too).

We stayed 2 nights in the hospital, just to make sure and get fully functioning before going home. I enjoyed my stay at the hospital and compare it to a 5 star hotel. Since being home we have had my paretns here and my in-laws as well. We have enjoyed all the help that our families and friends have given us.
Please visit my friends blog: http://www.allforfunphotography.blogspot.com/ to see more pictures of Myles (look under baby section).

July at a Glance...

2009-08-02T12:46:00.001-07:00

This summer has been full of lots of fun! If you had asked me at the beginning of summer if I had many fun plans...I would have said, nah. But let me tell you we have had a lot of fun being "at home" this summer and not going on many far away trips. One thing that I love to do is travel to new and exciting places so normally I am pretty bummed when I don't get to travel at least every 6 months (Just ask Matthew). I usually get an itch to get up and go with a faraway gleam in my eye but this summer has kept my gleaming at bay!

Glance 1: Fourth of July

I am also all about celebrating holidays and getting together with others and doing something. So I was pleasantly suprised by our churchs' Fourth of July celebration. One of the families at our church coordinates for us to join another church and have a slam-bang time at the home of a family outside of Longview.

I think everyone in our family had a blast...so to speak!

Glance 2: Baby Shower for Myles

Since being in Longview (for about 2 years now) we have been truly blessed to make a lot of friendships with some great families. We had several friends come together and throw us a wonderful baby shower for a soon-to-come baby Myles. They knew we are decorating the nursery with baseball stuff and they took off with the theme. I was amazed at how creative and giving these ladies were with the baby shower...Thanks to you all!

Glance 3: Balloon Festival

Here is another instance where I was poohing on an activity and was greatly mistaken! This was our first year to attend the East Texas Balloon Festival. I had heard a lot about the goings on but never thought that it was worth my time and money for being in the heat. I was sharing this with a friend, who loves the ETBF and she undestood my desire not to be in the heat being so pregnant. After my friend's out of town family bailed on them for the weekend due to sickness, she called us right up and invited us to come with her family with some free passes. What could I say...NO? So we went and had a great time! We got to enjoy the benefits of a free ride, including a catered Mexican dinner in an airconditioned tent. By the time dinner was over the heat had cooled off and the balloons looked spectacular all lit up!

Very off the topic...please visit my dear friends photography sight: http://www.allforfunphotography.blogspot.com/ to learn more about how to win a photo session and the makings of a great photographer! Also check out her maternity page to see some cute pictures of Audrey and me.

Pickin' and A Grinnin'

2009-07-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from pickin'

chasing each other!

Some of you might have seen Josies' blog and Jaimes' blog about their weekend past and know some of my story. Well here is my version and some different pictures. (Side note: I think it is neat how everyone sees the same thing but differently.)

Last Friday we were blessed to be invited by a friend to her father's fruit farm. We had a blast despite having to rise early! The harvest was plentiful but the workers were few, okay so not many wanted to get up early to get free fruit...go figure.

We had fun picking the various fruits while having some breaks in between...for a preggers I felt like it was a good mix. Audrey ended but running the rows with her friends, especially Hunter, the future Fruit farmer!

Then after we got home, washed and packed we headed to Beaver's Bend, OK with the Hampers and Rineharts. It was sure nice to have a cabin that was airconditioned and very amenable. There was a pond behind the cabin that the kids and dads enjoyed skipping rocks at.

Mr. H brought his pellet gun that the Dads very much enjoyed and they all started perfecting their aim.

On Saturday we Paddle Boated (which was pretty difficult with a preggo, and a 2 year old on Matthew's lap) and enjoyed being on the river. The water was so cold that you could not just jump in because of frost bite. However we did enjoy time in the water and at the "beach" area.

Waiting to go home!

The food was wonderful and the company was great. It was nice to have times of activity and times rest. Thanks fellow cabiners for the great weekend!

Summer Sample Sale-Fundraiser!

2009-06-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

What: 50% off all of my Limited Edition pieces (over 30 pieces)

When: June 19th, Shop and Go from 10-12 and 4-6. Come early for best selections!

Where: 404 Janet Kay Dr., Rebecca the Jewelry Ladies’ Home

For Who: All sales will go towards a car for the Hansen’s, a FBC mission family here on furlough.

Special Springtime

2009-05-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

I just have to brag on my sweet husband and all the love he has shown me! I was treated royally on Mother's day, complete with breakfast in bed and a stress free day. He showered me with gifts and a servant heart.

Then a couple of days later on my Birthday his sweetness continued. I awoke to a sweet card on my pillow. Since he had been spoiling me in general he kept the gifts to a minimum. Needless to say he had a trick or two up his sleeve. When he walked in the door from being at work all day, he had my favorite type of roses along with Birthday balloons. That night we ate at a Japanese steak house and had a lot of fun watching Audrey's reaction to the chef! Thank you so much sweetheart for showing me how special I am!

On another note, with my new Mother's day/Birthday camera I have caught some sweet pictures around our house I would like to share with you...Audrey's New sandbox Playing at the park

San Antonio or Bust!

2009-05-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

The count down started on April 1st. My long-time friend, Jeanne, who I met as a freshman in high school, wanted to take a fun trip with me before I got too pregnant. We chose a fun town where the action and fun were endless, San Antonio.

After researching on Priceline and other sites we found an awesome deal. Our dates were set and our expectations were high! I awoke early Monday morning and drove to Dallas to pick up Jeanne at Dallas Love and then we headed DFW airport to head to our grand destination. The weather was icky that morning and our flight took longer than expected. Then baby Myles started doing flips which started my stomach churning. Needless to say that by the time the plane landed everyone around me was ready to get away and depart the plan. But thanks to a kind male flight attendant, my white pants were saved by club soda, who would of thought.

It was so nice to get to our accommodating hotel, take a hot shower, order pizza and watch a chick-flick. I don't get to those things very often and especially not in the same day. The rest of the week went slow but fast, if you know what I mean. We checked out the Riverwalk and the Alamo one day. The next day we went to Enchanted Rock near Fredricksburg and took in some strawberry picking at a local farm. We went to a late night movie to see "The Soloist" and we also ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Finally our week was topped off with a day of shopping at the San Marcos' extensive outlet stores.

By the time we were back in the San Antonio airport I think my suitcase had gained at least 10-15 extra pounds in shopping plunder. I had a great time catching up with my bud but I was ready to get home to my sweet family!

4 Easter Egg Hunts Later!

2009-04-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we have had! We thought that we were going to have fun last year with Audrey being 1 but this year has truly been fun to teach Audrey all about Easter.

Right before this holiday Audrey learned how to share the Gospel at Bible Study. So it was neat to incorporate what she was learning with the reason we celebrate Easter.

On Thursday Audrey's school had an Easter party complete with an egg hunt and cookies.

Friday, our good friend Mrs. Josie had her annual Easter Egg Hunt at her lovely home. We had so much fun and enjoyed being with all our best buds. It was neat to see how much all of our friends had improved in their hunting skills from last year.

Then on Saturday Audrey and I decorated hard boiled eggs and talked about why we celebrate Easter, I think she has some understanding. That afternoon we went to our church's Easter celebration. I want to commend them for a well-planned and Christ centered celebration. They had several egg hunts for the different ages, along with the Resurrection story, sidewalk chalk drawings, kite flying, bounce houses and balloon releasing.

Finally, today we went to our adopted families' Easter Lunch (The Stoddard Family). We all had a great time! The brisket was wonderful along with all the sides. Audrey just loves being with her adopted cousins and had a blast with them. Oh yeah, more Easter Egg hunting!

Did I mention that I made Audrey and Bear's dresses? My Mom made me Easter dresses when I was growing up and I had fond memories. I want her to have the same great memories too!

Say Hello to Myles

2009-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

On April 2nd we went in for a 4-D sonogram! My mom was able to come for the weekend to join us for this neat occasion. I was 22 weeks at the time. This was our 3rd sonogram and our 1st time to have a 4-D sonogram.

Matthew, Audrey, my mom and myself all piled into the sonogram room and we were amazed at how much we could see of our baby boy. Myles (our boy's name) kept his fists close and tight in front of his face. Matthew was proud of his pugilists stance. Myles means soldier, so what a fitting name. I like that name because I want our kids to be great advocates and partners for Christ. "Onward Christian Solider!"

After the appointment, Audrey went to school and showed all her classmates her brother's picture. She is a proud big sister who is excitedly awaiting her brother's arrival.

Sirloin OR Skipper?

2009-03-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Baby @ 15 weeks

Thursday Matthew and I went to my 19 week check up. I was so glad that he could go and meet my Doctor. We truly have been blessed with this whole pregnancy, especially with a really nice/funny doctor.

My appointment could have been done over the phone, since most of it was conversation but we did get to have a sneak peak in the oven. As we were being escorted back to the exam room the nurse asked us if we were scheduled for a sonogram that day. We said we weren't but would definitely accommodate them if they so chose to do so.

After we talked about traveling in the last stages of my pregnancy (to possibly Peltoro, CO. - which is out) and how if we did go to the mountains we would have a mountain baby and after we delivered we could bury the placenta under a tree beneath a full moon (too weird) we got to see our little boy!

(For sure a boy)

The doctor took a full 20 minutes probing my belly to get a "good" shot of our sons dingle-hopper. He said that although he knew what were having he still wanted a good view of it. The doctor said that we are going to have a stubborn kid because he just did not want to move from his comfortable, curled up position.

Spread them (arrow is pointing at penis)

As we were wrapping up we asked about how big the baby was and he said to Matthew, "10 o.z. for male talk, that's a good size steak and for the ladies, the size of Skipper, not quite Barbie".

So I hope you enjoy the pictures of our little steak!

Cuteness Caught...

2009-03-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

We have been pretty busy this new year but I couldn't tell you where it went! Audrey amazes me more and more each day and I really enjoy our time together...most of the time. Here are a few cute cameos that I happened to catch.

No I don't want to take a nap, DADDY!

For the past couple of months we have been struggling with nap times. I will put Audrey down and then an hour to an hour and 1/2 later she is still wide awake, singing and talking. Well on this Sunday afternoon we all laid down for a nap and I was out like a light. Matthew on the other hand couldn't sleep with all the chattering going on, so he got up with her and they just sat on the couch watch a boring grown-up show and she slowly nodded off, sitting up, no less.

When I woke up this is what I came across. Too sweet. Moments like these melt daddy's heart for sure, especially since Audrey is a momma's girl!

Paintin' Picasso

About a year ago Audrey stayed with my folks for a long weekend and thoroughly spoiled her. One of the activities they did together was paint. Well ever since that weekend, THANKS MOM, she has been wanting to paint, again. So for Christmas Santa Claus brought a learning easel that is great for painting.

Here is a picture of my precious painting without making a huge mess! I was ready to clean up a big mess but she is very much like her dad, who doesn't like to get messy.

Being Corny!

Recently, Audrey has really enjoyed eating corn, especially off the cob. I even had one meal where she took my corn off my plate and started eating it! I am glad I can give my non-messy kid some corn and she will get messy. She will chomp and chomp on her corn til the corn kernels are ALL gone.

2 Cute moments

1.One day Audrey was waiting on me to head out the door and she and Joanie were sitting by each other like old pals. They get along but Joan is such a mature lady that she doesn't usually hang out with the kids. They were sitting so sweetly together!

2. A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasant surprise of having our niece Kristi in town. We got to have lunch with her and her new family! She has a sweet baby girl named Aumilynn (I think). Audrey was really impressed by the tiny baby and had a lot of questions about what the baby could and could not do. Audrey is researching for her baby brother to come!

1st Sonogram!

2009-02-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

This pregnancy has been very different than my last. I have forgotten that I am pregnant occasionally and I didn't go see a doctor unitl I was 14 weeks! So within a weeks time I have seen the doctor and had a sonogram.
The purpose of the sonogram was to get an acurate due date. Our due date is August 5th and since the baby was measuring only a week behind we aren't changing the due date. We were also able to see what the gender of the baby is! The sonographer said she is pretty sure we are having a BOY, but to not to go out and buy lots of blue. Our next sonogram will be at 22 weeks and then we should know more definitely.
In the meantime we are thinking of names and are open to suggestions, it just doesn't mean we will pick the name you suggested! Keep us in your prayers.

Christmas Celebrating!

2009-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

New Table and Chairs!

I know, I know that this is 2 months late but I wanted to share these great pictures! We decided to start some family traditions now that Audrey is 2. My parents came in from Waco and brought a great surprise with them.

I had asked my mom to bring some folding chairs to compensate for the lack of seating in our house. My mom came in and said she had forgotten to pack the chairs. After we had eaten dinner my parents went out to the car to get their luggage and surprised me with a new-to-me dining table and chairs!

The drunken Reindeer!

Mommy/Daughter matching necklaces.

Christmas Eve we played games and had great snacking! We also opened gifts from family. After the little one was all snug in her bed with visions of sugar plums...oh yeah on with the story, we (Matthew, my dad, sister and myself) commenced to assemble all the the Christmas toys.

Cool Dad

Merry Christmas!

Matthew and I were so excited for Audrey and enjoyed all the excitement. Audrey had so much fun Christmas morning playing with all her new toys. I think she was a little overwhelmed!

Look at all the loot!

We really enjoyed having my folks up and enjoyed having a less-stressful Christmas at home.

Christmas Princess Tea

2009-02-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Back at the beginning of December I schemed to get all the little girls in our circle together to have some girl time. Audrey has recently become enamored with dressing up and being a princess! So I thought that I would start a tradition that I can carry on until Audrey leaves for college: Christmas Tea time.

Miss J-Bug!

I think our little Princess Tea party went smashing! The girls were so well behaved and knew just what to do despite being so young.

Cookie Creations

We had playtime, lunch and then cookie decorating. Sadly to say there was no tea had by the little ones. I think all the mommies enjoyed watching our little ladies!

Little Ladies

Catching Up...

2009-02-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Okay so it has been a long time since I have posted...sorry folks. What can I say...I have been busy? So get ready for some posts that should have been posted several months ago but are too noteworthy to not post!

4th Album...4th Photo...Hum?

2008-12-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

I was tagged....well let's just say a while ago to post the 4th picture of my 4th album. I recently got a new laptop so my pictures were not old but on our old computer we had a slew of pics. So I had my sweet honey send me all the pictures that I wanted.

This picture is of my sweet sister-in-law who is now in New Zealand! We were celebrating Christmas 2004 and this was our first Christmas together (as newly-weds). Jeremy, my brother, and Eliza were married 2 weeks after us. At the time it was hard to get her in a picture much less a decent one. So here is to black mail! I think she was tucking in her shirt and using the Christmas tree as a screen. We had all gathered in Kansas at my Aunt's house. We had a lot of fun and interesting moments.

All I want for Christmas...

2008-12-07T15:02:00.001-08:00

"All I want for Christmas is..." A baby brudder or baby sisTer one day! (as Audrey says). Surprise! We are expecting. We have been praying for several months for a baby with Audrey at her bedtime prayers. We found out that we are expecting another little one come August!

Lately our family has been doing a lot of fun Christmas outings. The weekend after Thanksgiving we went to Marshall with some friends. Then Thursday we enjoyed the Longview Christmas parade from Matthew's 5th floor office. Friday we enjoyed some time at the church decorating and festivating. Last night we went to the courthouse lawn and enjoyed some free entertainment along with a visit with Santa Claus! Audrey was not sure what to think about Santa Claus but she liked the idea of getting candy from him. He was such a good Santa Claus! He was very cautious not to upset her and ruin her childhood. He took time to talk with her and find out some about her. He asked her if she wanted a doll for Christmas and she said that she wanted, "Toys".

We took several photos to make sure and get a good one. I was real impressed with Santa Claus!

Lately Audrey has been asking us in the car, on the way home from an event, "What was your favorite part of the trip?" She will ask this if we are just going around the block or after a fun evening out. Usually she will say that her favorite part was whatever my favorite part was. For example, on the way home from the Longview Christmas 'Carade' (that is how Audrey says parade) I said that I enjoyed the hot air balloon fire and she did as well!

Moses Pumpkin...

2008-11-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

You have to admit that when the Bible is effecting your Jack-o-lantern's choice of face... your child is learning something from "Bible Study".

So Audrey has been going to Bible Study for some time now and is learning a lot about Moses. When I asked her what did she want her pumpkin to look like, she said, "Moses" then I said, "Baby in the basket Moses or older Moses" and she said, "let my people go!" So I took that to mean Older Moses.

Fall Harvest is my favorite time of year and I was really looking forward to our churches 'Farm Fair'...so I kind of rubbed off on my daughter. She had a blast and has been asking if we can go to Farm Fair again.

My Mom was able to come into town to join us for this weekend and I think she had a good time. I told my mom about several of the contests that our church has for Farm Fair and she decided to decorate a pumpkin as well to enter. Our family together ended up winning 4 prizes total due to the fact that we were some of the only entries!

As far as Audrey's costume goes...she really enjoyed being a Bumble Bee especially when she saw an episode of Wonder Pets where one of the characters dresses up like a Bumble Bee.

More Birthday Pictures!

2008-09-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Benjamin and his trains
Show us that finger puppet Alec
Looks like Luke is happy
Open wide Luke

Hudson and his Dr. Pepper
Julia bug
Randall in mid-wave

Alli is so sweet

Birthday Week!

2008-09-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Birthday celebrating with Papa and Mimi

I had a friend whose family celebrated Birthday Weeks, where you would get a small present each day of your birthday week. I like that idea! So with Audrey's 2nd Birthday this past week brought a lot of celebration.

To prepare Audrey for her birthday on Thursday and what comes with it we talked to her about what her birthday meant and what people would say and do. She really liked the "Happy Birthday" song, especially the part that goes "...and many more!"

We knew we wanted to get another dog for our family and what better time than an Audrey-birthday! So on Tuesday evening we went and picked up our new beagle puppy, Winston Chewhill. Also on Tuesday and Wednesday Audrey got to take Chocolate Chip cookies to Mothers' Day Out and Park Way.

So when Thursday came she was ready for her big day! In the morning we spent a couple of hours getting her pictures done with our good friend and photograher Josie (shameless plug: http://allforfunphotography.blogspot.com/). Boy those pictures are going to be really cute. Then we went to one of Audrey's favorite restaurants, Taco Beano.

That night...we had a blast with our friends at Audrey's Birthday. We had hot dogs, chips and the best ...cake and icecream. Audrey wanted to make sure we had candy too, which we had a Dora Piniata. I think fun was had by all and we want to thank all our friends for joining us in celebrating her birthday!

She's getting so big, especially in her new dress-up outfits!
On another note...Friday evening my folks came in late and we spent the rest of the weekend with them and a few friends camping. This was Audrey's first camping trip and I think it make a good impression on her. As we were driving home this morning she said, "Audrey, good Camper!"

September....time of remembrance

2008-09-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

I want to echo what Jaime (http://rinehart4.blogspot.com/) had to say about this day, September 11th, as a day to remember. Where were you... 7 years ago? Can you believe it...it was 7 years ago? I was a sophomore in college. I was in a class that was my least favorite, AutoCad (architectural drafting). Every month we would celebrate classmates birthday's by having cake and that day, September 11th was the day we ate cake and watched a great catastrophe on the classroom projection screen.
It was so surreal to be eating cake, of all things, while there were many who were suffering.

Not to downplay the magnitude of that day but I want to also note some days in September that have had great significane to me:

My first date with Matthew...the day that started all of where I am: September 7th, 1999

Our first dog as a married couple, Joan of Barc came into our lives: September 7th, 2003

Our sweet daughter, Audrey came to us September 18th 2006.

And many more special dates/memories that I won't forget....I don't want to forget...maybe I 'll forget...why do our memories fail us.

Make a point to remember special days, people, memories because frankly all the stuff we have is nowhere near as important and special as the relationships we have/had with others.

Labor Day in Hot Springs!

2008-09-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Daddy's a Dead Man

As a family we got to enjoy one last Summer get-away to Hot Springs, AR with my brother and his lovely wife! We have been planning some time to get together at least one more time before they head off to New Zealand to do mission type work.

Jeremy's lining up the perfect putt

We haven't seen my brother, Jeremy and his wife, Eliza since Thanksgiving this past year...wow...has it been that long?

Hole in one, Mommy!

We decided to meet in Hot Springs because it is a fun place to go and it is halfway between where we both live. Audrey was real excited about seeing Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Eliza. At first she was not sure what to think about them but by the time we parted ways she really misses them.

Should I feed the gold fish MY gold fish?

We got to go to a children's museum, Pirate mini-golf, an outdoor garden near the lake, original bath house and lots of great eating places! On top of all that we, Matthew, Jeremy, Eliza and myself played the game "Settlers of Catan" several times into the wee hours of the morning...okay so it was late for me!
I think overall we had lots of fun although I felt like I was in the bathroom all weekend because Audrey is still potty training but doing awesome!Picture Perfect...Jeremy and Eliza

Swim Lessons and Best Buds

2008-08-03T19:58:00.001-07:00

For the past 2 weeks Audrey and I have been taking a "Mommy and Me" class with a couple of friends through the City of Longview (http://www.ci.longview.tx.us). We had so much fun and saw steady progression.

The class was 30 minutes long and consisted of 3-4 songs, which included much splashing and dunking, practice time and shallow water play time. I think Audrey's favorite time was the singing and splashing time. We really enjoyed getting to take the class with our friends Luke and Ryan along with some new friends. Audrey seemed to be a great inspiration for our boy friends. Luke only blowed bubbles to show Audrey and Ryan really loved doing "Motor Boat" with Audrey. To tell you the truth...I think she could have cared less. I hope you enjoy these great pictures.

Trying to do Scrapblog...

2008-08-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

Hey...to all of you who saw my blog in a shamble...please ignore what you saw. I have been playing around with Scrapbloging. I was working on it earlier this afternoon, wasn't sure what I did wrong, left it and went shopping and to eat pizza. Then when I got back home I realized how fast people check blogs by 2 comments posted on my lousy attempt at Scrapbloging. So hopefully now it looks mucho better. Let me know what you think...I'm asking for it *smile* *wink* and *all that good stuff*.

God-Mother Got Hitched

2008-07-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our sweet Amanda! We met Amanda right after we got married. She is Audrey's unofficial Godmoma. On Saturday we got to go to her wedding in Waco. It was beautiful, well-planned and a little hot. She took some time out at her wedding to come over and say hi to Audrey, how sweet. We are looking forward to getting to know her new hubby better and hanging out as couples. God Bless your future...have fun in the Bahamas!

Family Fun on Fourth

2008-07-07T11:25:00.001-07:00

(My Aunt Cheri, Aunt Kathy and Mom)

What an awesome 4th of July we had! It has been a couple of years since we have had such a great Independence Day. We felt truly wanted this year because we received several invites from friends to hang out.
For some time we have had plans to go to my Aunt Cheri's house in Aledo. We wanted to have a mini-family reunion. When I was younger we lived in the same town, all of my family (aunts, uncles, grandparents). As kids grew, people moved away and it has been several years since I have gotten to be around everyone.
We drove over to Aledo on Thursday evening. The next day I was in charge of breakfast and we had Sopapilla Cheescake. We had a relaxing day which entailed going to the big Firework wharehouse and buying a lot of firecrackers and reading a lot on the couch.

The main meal was around 4ish and we enjoyed a nice dip in the swimming pool before and after the yummy food. I had picked blackberries a couple of days before and was able to make a pretty awesome Blackberry Cobbler, if I do say so myself.

(Uncle Steve, Uncle Joel, Mom, Aunt Cheri, Aunt Kathy)

Then that evening we all went out in my Aunt and Uncle's front yard and set off all the fireworks we had purchased. Audrey was not a big fan of the fireworks but maybe next year she will enjoy them better.
Fireworks outside!

The best part of the day was that my mother's oldest brother, Uncle Steve and his two sons came to celebrate with us. I have seen him and his family about 5 times in my whole life. So it was an answer to many prayers the great visit we had with his family.

Berry Blessings!

2008-07-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

What a fun morning Audrey and I had today. We got to go Blackberry picking at Martin's Berry Patch. We invited Grammy and Alli to go with us. So the four of us rode out there (past Hallsville) to go pickin'.

Grammy and I told Alli and Audrey to take their red baskets and go find the "Black" berries and not to pick the "RED" ones. Alli had done this before and she was real good, Audrey however was more interested in holding the red baskets.

We found that the biggest, and juiciest berries were in the middle of the vine under the leaves' shade. After picking for about an hour the two little ones got tired and hot and were not having so much fun any more (the two big kids were tired of messing with the two little ones : )

Grammy and Alli totaled in at 3 1/2 lbs. worth of blackberries and Audrey and myself had 3 lbs.

We got done at just the right time to head off to get a bite to eat before the lunch crowds. Grammy was kind and generous to treat Audrey and I this morning with the berries and lunch.

To tell you the truth...it is at the end of the month for us and things are tight, so I wasn't exactly sure how we were going to swing things but we are truly thankful for our Berry Blessings and how God provides even for our wants!

Mazal tov!

2008-06-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

Audrey and her PaPa

Okay...so this weekend we went to a Messianic Jewish wedding. My brother-n-law got married this weekend and our whole family was asked to be in the wedding...how fun!

One of the bridesmaids and 2 of the groomsmen

Now the only wedding I have been in was my own and I am very particular about having a plan and knowing where everything/everyone should go...not my sis-n-law. She is a fly by the seat of her skirt kind of gal, which can be fun if it doesn't matter what you think...and it didn't.

It was supposed to be an outdoor wedding but it rained : ( so we were forced indoors.

Bridesmaid, My Mother-n-Law and my parents

In the brideroom we pushed, prodded and poked ourselves into our respective getups. We used tape, safety pins and everything we could get our hands on (*smile and wink*)

Audrey got to be led out to the front by a sweet pre-teen (that was her part in the wedding? I am not sure why). Then the bridesmaids, myself included, swayed down the aisle along with the jewish music and clapped occasionally when the beat was right. I am not versed in Jewish weddings or Messianic Jewish weddings but I think Mazal tov is something to be said loudly and often.

Matthew and a childhood friend enjoy singing together.

Overall we all had a great time seeing family, eating and dancing. Audrey's favorite part of the night was the "Chicken Song, Dance" as she likes to say.

Surprise!

2008-06-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

I think he has a slight glow of surprise.

Thank you to everyone who could join us for Matthew's 28th Birthday Party at Pizza King. We had a blast. The pizza was great, the company was awesome and Matthew was totally surprised.

Matthew in his element.

When I asked Matthew what he wanted for his birthday he said he would be fine with nothing. I saw the nothingness as a challenge to go all out. So, I planned a Surprise Party at his favorite place to eat. Little did I know that when you ask friends out for fun and pizza they will take you up on it. I thought we might have at the most 10 people...no...we ended up with 32 to be exact. Matthew feels truly blessed this year by all of your well-wishings. Thanks a bunches.

Emily's Graduation!

2008-06-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of Emy'!

Mom looks on with Matthew and Uncle B.

A couple of weeks ago my baby sister graduated from High School! I am so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. It has been neat to watch her grow up and blossom. We went down to Waco to watch her graduate and had a great time.

Swimmin' with Friends

2008-06-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

On Monday Audrey got to have a play date with Luke while his mommy went to the doctor. They had a lot of fun playing and trying to share...that is still a new thing for Audrey.

Then when Merrisa came back we had lunch. The kids were encouraged to eat all their food so that they could get some cookies!

The best part was the blow-up pool that Audrey and Luke got to cool off in. Luke is a pro and showed Audrey how you take it easy! Both of us mommies enjoyed cooling our tootsies in the water and eating cookies as well.

The Splits=Scraped Knee

2008-05-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Okay so this week has been hard getting back into the swing of things after being on vacation. Each day this week has been crazy for both me and Matthew but especially for Matthew. I have been doing some major cleaning along with a lot of catch up with my work.

So I have been doubling up on working out so that I will get back into the swing of things...right : ) ! Well yesterday I got up bright and early, thanks to my personal alarm clock, Audrey. I went to my Yoga class which normally is not too strenuous for me but I was sweating buckets. Then I ran home to shower and change so that we could go to Story Time at the library. As I was running late, as usual, I scooped up Audrey off our deck and headed to the car to put her in. Well my intentions were good but as I stepped onto the grass my foot kept going and took me on a ride to the splits. The grass must have been damp and I did not realize it. It was in slow motion; the pain, the sliding and the splits. When Audrey and I finally reached the ground, she bursted out in tears even though she was fine. Me, on the other hand wanted to cry and grab my knee in pain. My leg had scrapped along the gravel as I was trying to break our fall.

I don't remember the last time I had done the splits or scraped my knee ; ( ! You would think that after doing Yoga I could do the splits but my tragic decent reminded me of how unflexible I still am. I am however enjoying the sympathy and bandaids that I get for having a scrapped knee. No skirts/shorts for a while I guess. I can't shave around my hurt knee...it hurts too much. Okay no more crying/whinning.

Kokopelli

2008-05-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hi to all my loyal fans who have been giving me a hard time about not posting EVERYDAY (*ahem*).
Matthew and I have been in Santa Fe, NM for 7 days, 6 nights, celebrating our 5th year anniversary and my birthday. My parents were sweet enough to take Audrey and they have been loving every minute.
(On the "High Road" to Taos)

It has been so great not having to be anywhere, go to bed at a certain time or wake up at a certain time. We have eaten wherever we wanted to and whenever!
On the first day we arrived we checked into our hotel and took a 3 HOUR NAP, we haven't done that in years! The rest of the week has been a blurr of fun intermixed with head-colds. We have not allowed our stuffy noses to keep us from having fun.

(Buying Turquoise Earrings on the Plaza)
We have...shopped on the Plaza, had some pink margaritas, gone to 3 museums, brunched at a chocolatier/bakery, shopped, took a road trip on the High Road to Taos, shopped at the outlet mall, had my ears pierced, watched 2 theater movies, ate a whole lot of Mexican food, visited the Taos Pueblos (the oldest continuously inhabited community), went to 2 historic Catholic Churches and Shopped some more!

(Matthew in Front of Basilica de St. Francisco)
We have missed Audrey so, so much! We are looking forward to getting home and getting back to our normal, responsible selves.

(By the way: Kokopelli is a Southwestern American Indian icon that represents music and fertility and is everywhere you look in Santa Fe!)

Easter Eggstravaganza!

2008-03-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

(Audrey at Daffodil Gardens, 18 mos.)

Easter had such a big effect on Audrey that...

1. Every time she sees an egg of any sort she says: "Ap-en" (open)

2. If you show her a picture of a Rabbit she will say: "Bunny...Hop, Hop".

3. From the moment she wakes up she says: "Dan-dy, Dan-dy, Dan-dy" (candy)

4. She does not have a preference to any sort of candy...it's all good!

(Jelly-Beans, yum, yum)

The week before Easter we went to the Daffodil Gardens in Gladewater, TX to have Audrey's picture taken in her Easter Dress. We had a basket full of empty plastic eggs except for one. That egg had 4-5 jelly beans in it and Audrey found it right away. A lot of the pictures of her are of her in mid-chew.

(Ah, this looks like some great sand)

From then on she knew what to do with a plastic egg! We were invited to a Mom-kid Easter play-date on the Thursday before Easter. All the kids/moms had a blast playing outside. They had sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a swing-set and a sand box all ready to play on. So at this Easter hunt, Audrey knew what the eggs were for but she was content to stop at the first egg and Ap-en it.

(Ap-en?!)

Then on Easter Audrey got a big basket full of "Dan-dy" and outside toys (bubbles/chalk). I let her have 1 piece of candy before breakfast and before I knew it she was trying to eat the chocolate easter egg with the foil wrapper on it still.

Later on that day we went to our friends house, the Woodens, for an awesome lunch and Easter fun. We ended up joining their neighbors, the Rineharts, for a awesome egg hunt. I wasn't going to let Audrey participate because she already had so much Dan-dy but Ms. Christy would not have any of that. She was of the mind that "All girls need more candy!"
(Dan-dy?)

The next day Audrey and several others were real cranky from their sugar crash. We had a blast.

That's Life...

2008-02-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007 at our house

Hi to all who have been checking this blog but seeing no new postings! What can I say..."I Forgot"! To tell you the truth I have been so busy that I forgot about my blog. I got on Facebook and that was fulfilling my internet fix for a while.

The holidays came and went with a blur and I can't say that they will be memorable. I took a 10 day trip through Texas to see some old friends and family (not that they were all old). I decided that I needed to go back and remember different parts of my growing up years. I had not been back to Lubbock since my grandmother, Gran passed away. Since her passing the house that she and my grandfather had lived in for all my life was sold; another grandmother (Chick) of mine had moved away and passed on; family grew up and apart. I know one thing... that I don't want that amount of time to pass before reconnecting with those people again.

So much for looking back...

Our Family Picture!

Currently we are looking at several changes in our not so distant future. We are debating buying a house, Matthew going out on his own and me getting a part time Interior Design job. Not in that particular order but somewhere all jumbled up. We are ready to take root somewhere, especially now that we have Audrey and want more kids.

Audrey update: I am walking/running everywhere I go. I love bubbles, balloons, storytime and going outside. I am very much a typical redhead with a temper that mommy and daddy don't know what to do with. I know over 30 words and like to sing.

Audrey's 1st Birthday!

2007-09-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what the theme was?

Thanks to all who helped us celebrate Audrey's first year of life. It is so amazing how quickly a year flies by, and especially the first year of your child's.

Audrey's birthday was on Tuesday. We really did not do much for her that day except...Matthew and I woke her up with our singing of "Happy Birthday" ( she was none too happy about that). We met up with some dear friends later on to watch an awesome volleyball game. Then when we got home, let Audrey have her very own strawberry shortcake. She seemed to enjoy it.

Two of a kind!

On Saturday we had her big party with 20 of her friends and family. We really enjoyed getting to see everyone. Audrey was not sure what to think of all the attention and comotion. She really liked the balloons and the cantalope. She was not real interested in the best parts though...cake and presents! Please leave her a Birthday wish that we can print out and let her see later on in life (when she can read of course).

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

(Audrey and I front of Metals, Petals, and More...)

This past weekend was Labor Day and we went down to Houston to visit the in-laws along with the out-laws(my parents). We had a fun-packed weekend full of great food and company.
(Papa and Cousins) (Four pooped shoppers and pooped photographer)

On Saturday we went to Old Towne Springs to shop at the cute little stores. It was fun as well as long and draining. We got some cute pictures of Audrey and her cousins, Trystyn, Caleb and Kylie along with Papa.
(Beach Babes)
Sunday we went to Galveston to go to the beach. This was Audrey's first visit to the beach. I think it was a success! She really enjoyed the way the sand felt on her hands and squished between her toes. Being able to share the "Firsts" of someones life is pretty awesome. Who knew ordinary things could be so exciting.
(Cool...Sand)

Play-time

2007-09-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Audrey is learning the fun world of "Play-time"! I will put her in her baby-proofed room for 30 minutes or so at a time and she can do whatever she wants.

It is so neat to sneak up on her and see what she is doing. It is almost always the cutest moments. Some of her favorite past times are: reading her books, looking outside and banging on the window, and pulling all the books off her shelf.

Recently, after one of our many walks with the dogs, Audrey realized how to make the panting sound that dogs make when they are really hot. I was buckling her into her car seat, the dogs were sitting next to her on the seat and she turned to me and started panting herself. She got the biggest kick out of those dogs! Now whenever we ask her, "What sound do doggies make?" she will start panting. How cute!

Talk about a Hiatus!

2007-08-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

So sorry to all our loyal followers...what can I say, we've been busy? Life has definitely been hectic for us this summer! What with moving from one town to another, running after a toddler-want-a-be and keeping my business going...I have been exhausted.
This summer has comprised of:

1. Our move from Tyler to Longview- it seemed like we looked at about 20 different places to live until God brought the right place to us! It is a lot less than our last place allowing us to save some money!?

2. Audrey's first over-night stay- with my business (Premier Designs Jewelry) Matthew and I went to the National Rally/Conference in Ft. Worth. The Rally was a cross between a Big Tent Revival and The Price is Right, high impact is all I have to say about that. Audrey got to stay with Grampie and Gramie for two whole days and she did great! Mom and Dad missed her more than she missed them.

3. Oh, yeah, duh...Unpacking (I think we have 1 box left)

Audrey Update (10 months): I am now crawling all over the house! I am standing and moving from one object to another. I love eating solid foods and especially love ice cream! I have two bottom teeth and I am all legs and arms.

So much happening...

2007-05-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Four Generations

I know I haven't written in ages but we have been so busy. In the month of April we went to Overland Park, KS twice. Once during the Easter break to visit my granmother and then about two weeks later to go to her memorial service. God sure knew what He was doing with timing! We had a good visit with her during the Easter weekend and she got to meet/see Audrey for the first time. Audrey is her very first great-grandchild!

First Easter

The day we left for Kansas the second time...Matthew got a job offer for a job in Longview. So, not only did we have to take Audrey on her first plane ride, attend a Memorial service, we also had to decide whether or not Matthew should accept to job offer. Well, he did and he has now completed his first week at his new job. It seems to be going really well.

Longview, TX is about 35 min. from Tyler...so not too far to commute but not something that we would want to continue. We find ourselves looking to move AGAIN for the second time in less than 2 years. House/apartment hunting has got to be one of the hardest things to do!

My business has been going pretty well and I had my first $1,000 show this month! God is truly blessing us at just the right timing.

I'm Hungry

Audrey's Update: She is on the verge of being another Columbus! She is days away from crawling and wants to touch everything and be in the middle of everything. We are really having to start watching her. She is also eating three solid meals a day in her high chair and is learning to feed herself cereal.

March: Roaring like a Lion

2007-04-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Audrey is chewing on her bunny's ear!

Audrey is 6 months old and in the midst of exploring! I can honestly say that we are in full swing with babyhoodness. Audrey is rolling over, sitting up, walking in her walker, talking up a storm, eating all kinds of vegetables and cutting teeth! Matthew and I are loving every minute with her and think that parenting is wonderful! Who knew that such a messy and demanding little thing could be so much fun?

My Premier Designs Jewelry business is still going full steam ahead and I am continually improving my home shows as well the business end of it. Most of my home shows have been out of town, so I have been traveling alot. Audrey has been my little travel buddy and she does pretty well.
Recently, Audrey and I went to Aledo, TX to get together with Aunt Cheri and my Mom for a craft weekend. Mom and I were learning how to quilt from my aunt. I did not realize how tedious and difficult quilting is. I have an appreciation now for quilters and especially quilters who do everything by hand.

Matthew is still working doing document review with his temporary job but he is still looking for permanent work. This has been a good oportunity for him to make a lot of quick and easy money. The job is pretty dull though and does not have any benefits or security. (What job does though?)

For Easter we are all going to go see Golden Chick! We are really looking forward to the visit but not the drive. This will be Audrey's first time to see her Great Grand Chick!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers, especially for safe travels.This is our little Tyler Rose

Manna and Rolling Over

2007-03-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot going on in the Simcox house! Where do I start...

Audrey: (Here she is on Valentine' s Day)

She has rolled over about 3 times now and is talking up a storm! She is learning how to grasp small objects and is transfering things from one hand to the other. She has started eating rice cereal and does not like it too much. Audrey loves it when her daddy makes farting sounds with his tongue. Audrey also enjoys holding her feet and she trys to put them in her mouth. This past week we all went to the Caldwell Zoo together as a family. We had such a great time. Audrey did not know what to make of all the animals but Mommy and Daddy enjoyed taking pictures of everything.

(Audrey at the Zoo)

(Mommy and Audrey with Mr. Rhino)

Rebecca:

My job as a Premier Designs jewelry consultant has been going really well! God has brought opportunities into my path and is still working out my schedule each new day. In November we started keeping a record of all our "Manna" or blessings. We have some wonderful things to praise God about. For instance...Matthew found $10 in the front yard one day; we were able to pay off our car loan; I was given slightly worn clothes that I was in much need of and the list continues.

(Daddy and Audrey with Mr. Rhino)

Matthew:

Matthew's job with the DA's office ended about a week ago but already God has brought Matthew temporary work with a law firm and he has a potential interview tomorrow with another DA's office. We have learned that when we trust in God and put our faith in Him, He will be faithful to us.

Hope you enjoy our pictures!

Oh the Places I am Going!

2007-01-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hi, this is Audrey and I have taken over my mommy's blog! I am growing so big now and I wanted to tell you a little about what I have been learning and what I have seen.

I am now 4 1/2 months old. I like to sing with my daddy and mommy. I like to shake-a-shake-a my keys all around. When I am not shaking my keys I am sticking anything in my mouth...my hands...my blanket...you name it. I don't like tummy time so much but I am trying to roll over when I am on my back, Yeah! I am also working on sitting up. As you can see from the pictures I love hanging out with my dog, Joanie.

A couple of weeks ago we had some pretty cold weather and my mommy and daddy thought that I needed to wear my pink, bear suit. I was none too pleased when I had it on because I could not suck on my fingers. Daddy said that I looked like a "Pink Nightmare".

Well that is about all for now...I am getting sleepy and it is time for "Night, Night". Here is my mommy!

Simcox update: Matthew is still enjoying his job at the DA's office and I have a new job! I am now a Premier Design Jewelry Consultant. In layman's terms, I am selling High Fashion jewelry through home shows. I love my new job because I can work when I want and make as much as I want. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and let me know if you would like to host a home show to earn some FREE jewelry!

Christmas and the New Year!

2006-12-31T22:52:00.000-08:00

(Audrey and Grammy)

Christmas has been a whirlwind for the Simcox household. It came, went and kept going without us really knowing. Although it passed us in such a flurry we had a great time with our relatives.

This Christmas we spent our time with my family in Waco. We got to visit with my grandfather, my brother and sister-n-law and my two cousins! We all stayed with my parents and man were we packed!

The evening we came back to Tyler our other family that lives in Houston came to see us on their way home from Texarkana. We were glad to see them even though our time was so short :( .

For the New Years eve we had some friends over and played games til the "Ball Dropped" and then we pretty much called it quits.

(Audrey, Great Grandma, Mimi, Kylie and Papa)

Simcox update: I am starting to work again as an independent Jeweler for Premier Designs. I am so excited about what I will be doing. Just ask me and I will tell you more about what I will be doing....

(Matthew, Me, Audrey)

Audrey update: I am now holding my head up pretty good although a little wobbly. I am really starting to engage in conversations and I love giggling and smiling! (Audrey)

Go, Go, Go...

2006-12-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Well I guess I should give everyone an update! Especially when I get anonymous comments requesting updating. Where do I start....
Well I know that Thanksgiving has been some weeks ago but I will start there and work my way back and forth.

For Thanksgiving we went to see our Simcox family in Houston. We drove in late Wednesday night and stayed through Saturday. Audrey's cousins were so excited to see her and hold her! Trystyn (6), Caleb (5) and Kylie (then 3) bought Matthew, Audrey and myself Christmas presents to give while we were there. They were so excited about what they had bought for us that they told us Thursday morning, first thing what our presents were. We did not know they were going to give us Christmas presents so we were a little confused about why they kept saying: "Trystyn bought Uncle Matthew a black and green kitty, Caleb bought Aunt Becca a doll with a blue dress and Kylie bought baby Audrey a doll with an aqua dress". Let me tell you, those were some presents! Of course Audrey's Mimi and Papa loved holding her and admiring her!

About a week before Thanksgiving, our church, Shiloh road, threw us a Diaper Shower. I had never been to a diaper shower before, but after taking care of our little girl for a couple of months I knew that diapers were very important! We were so blessed by our church family. They gave us hundreds of dollars worth in presents and we will not be in need for diapers for some time! Our dear friend Bekah organized the affair and even made us a huge diaper cake (see pictures for details).

Most recently Audrey has been able to meet two of her great-grandparents. On Tuesday she surprised her Great-Grandma Famie for dinner in Gladewater, and then Wednesday, Audrey's Great-Grandpoppy came into town to visit for a couple of days. Both great-grandparents are smitten with her. If anyone knows my grandfather, Poppy, they will know that he proposed to me when I was five and I turned him down. I said to him, "But Poppy, you already got one redhead" (my grandmother). Well he has not wasted any time in asking Audrey if she will marry him, and all she says/does is smile!

Audrey update: I am almost three months old and I am getting more and more active. I love to play with my ladybugs.

All Smiles

2006-11-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

Audrey is now 8 weeks / 2 months old! She has changed alot since her birth. We are really enjoying her more and more each day. In the past two weeks she has started smiling and giggling at her mommy and daddy. We are really looking forward to spending the holidays with our families. I have read that around three months babies start to really engage with others and it will be fun to see her respond to her grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and friends.

I take after my Mummy!

2006-11-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

(Audrey is Trick or Treating)
For a first Halloween this girl had a lot of social events! On Sunday night our church hosted a Trunk r' Treat event for the church and neighborhood. People signed up to decorate their car trunk and pass out candy in the church parking lot. There was a great turn out and some pretty neat cars. Unfortunately, Audrey slept through all of it...better luck next year.
Then for Halloween we were invited over to some friends house to eat chili, pass out candy and play games. Audrey was the only kid invited to the party! Her Halloween costume was a little outfit that had a little girl mummy next to a mommy mummy and her outfit read "I take after my mummy!" Most of the day leading up to the party Audrey was pretty fussy, so that night she was not in much better SPIRITS. Hope you enjoy these great pictures! (Trunk r' Treat: Do you think Matthew is more scared than Audrey by the witch?)

Hayrides and Hands

2006-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took Audrey to her first hayride and fall festival. A couple from our church hosted a hayride party out at there land. Before we left I made sure that we dressed Audrey in warm clothes and that she was ready for picture taking.
I was not sure if I was going to take Audrey on a hayride but I was sure that I wanted to go. We had a Snuggly pouch that we carried her in and everyone oohed and awed over her. We kept waiting for an opportune time to take pictures of Audrey in the hay. Finally the trailer with the hay in it stopped so we decided to get some pictures. Well not long after we got on the trailer for our photo shoot, several people hopped on ready for another hayride and the next thing we knew all three of us were bouncing along.
Audrey's face was so cute...each time the trailer bounced she would make a surprised face. Finally she became accustomed to the bumps and started falling asleep. Matthew and I were not too sure if the hayride was such a good idea to take a one month old on. When we got towards the end of the ride we went over a really big bump and were jostled a good three inches in the air, so then we decided to get off quickly. We were sure that we had caused our sweet baby to have a concussion or some type of serious brain injury but she was just fine.

Audrey's Developement: She has now found out that she has hands! Last night I was perplexed by the sound of smacking coming from her bed. I looked into her bassinet and saw that she was going to town sucking her hands. Her sight has also greatly improved. She will now follow our movements with her eyes when we are moving about the room.

(Audrey is sucking on her sweater)

4 Week old Wildcat!

2006-10-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend is our Alumni's homecoming. We are unable to attend the celebration activities due to having such a wee one but our thoughts are with our team the ACU Wildcats. In honor of their game I dressed Audrey up in her first football team paraphernalia!
Things are going great with Audrey and we are really enjoying the fall weather we are getting. Each day, taking care of Audrey seems to get easier but then we get a curve ball every now and then. Although we are technically not supposed to take Audrey out until she is 6 weeks old we have quickly gotten accustomed to breaking that rule. It is so hard to stay locked up for 6 weeks. We are taking short trips to do errands, go for walks and to go out to eat. All this fresh air does not seem to be bothering Audrey at all and she is gaining weight at a steady pace.
Around the time that Halloween roles around will be the end of our "confinement" so to speak. We are looking forward to really getting out and about at that point.

Audrey's Wellness Check-up

2006-09-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

(Audrey in her pretty, pink bouncer)

It sure has been a whirlwind since Audrey's arrival. Matthew and I have been surprised at how many people want to see Audrey and share in her birth. We knew we had lots of friends and family who supported us, we just didn't realize to what extent they loved us!

We are really impressed at what a good baby Audrey has been. We were expecting much worse from her as far as being fussy and hard to soothe. Don't get me wrong she has her times when her gas is getting the best of her but on the whole she is pretty easy.

On Monday I took her in to see her Doctor for her first visit. I was surprised when they called her name for us to come back to the exam room. I am not used to hearing people calling her name out! The doctor said that most breastfed babies lose 10% of their birth weight in the first week, so we were expecting her to weigh around 7.5 lbs. She weighed a whopping 8 lbs. We are so proud of her growth and health! Please continue to keep us in your prayers: for a good schedule and continued health.

Audrey's Here!

2006-09-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

(Matthew and I before inducing)

Monday we went to the hospital around 5:30 a.m. to start induction. By the time we got settled into the labor and delivery room and started the Pitocin drip it was 7:30. My good friend, Jeanne, was with us all of last week to be with us when I went into labor. Sadly to say she had to go back home the same morning we were induced, so she was not with us when Audrey finally came.

(Me and Jeanne)
So from 7:30 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. (to be exact), I was in labor! Yikes! Labor was managable until I got to the harder phases. The only medication that I had was a pain medicine adminstered through I.V. but by the time Audrey came out it had been at least an hour and a half that I was without pain killers. I thought that labor would never end but I owe my successful labor to my wonderful husband, Matthew. He was there with me through it all (for the most part except when he went and ate). He would breathe with me, let me squeeze his hand as hard as I could and would quote scriptures to me.

I cannot describe the relief I felt when Audrey finally came out. We were so overwhelmed at coming through the labor and more importantly, having this new little girl that we had created.
We still cannot get over how marvelous she is and how much in love we are with her.
Now that I am home and the birthing high is over...I don't feel like my old pregnant self or my old self. But when I think about all the stuff that I went through and how don't feel up to par, I remember that little Audrey was worth it all.

(Matthew and his daughter, Audrey)

40 Weeks and Pushing On...

2006-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

(Audrey's face: Vertically facing with cute nose in center)

Well folks, since the last time I posted I was hoping for a baby any day but our sweet Audrey is enjoying her hotel stay. Today we had our 40 week check up 2 days after the due date...still no budging. We discussed with our doctor what our options were. We decided that for the health of the baby and myself we would seek inducement next week if the hospital had any openings.

While I got strapped up to a fetal monitor to see what the activity level of Audrey was like, our doctor found out that our hospital had an opening first thing Monday morning. The fetal monitoring consists of tracking the baby's heart rate and movement rate at the same time. Our doctor was looking for three spike heart rates within 20 minutes, corresponding to the baby's movement. During a 30 minute span the fetal activity had only spiked once. So our doctor called for a Biophysical Profile test, a sonogram. At this point we were getting a little anxious about our baby's health but once the sonogram was underway we were reassured that she was just sleeping and displayed normal activity.

Then they took our money for the sonogram. So we are scheduled for inducement first thing Monday morning....if Audrey does not come sooner. Please keep this situation in your prayers and for God's guidance.

(Audrey's face: Vertically facing, kind of smooshed)

39 Weeks...Will it Ever End!

2006-09-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Several of you who are regular visitors to my sight are wondering...is the baby here yet? "Surely the baby has come and I just haven't heard!" Well, I am sorry to say, for myself mostly, that Audrey is still not here yet. (You would definitely know if she was!)

The due date is set for this next Tuesday, the 12th of September. A day that will live in...
my memory until a new day replaces it, the day that Audrey comes of course. All I want is for her to come when she is good and ready to come. However I might mention some fine print: when I go 2 weeks past the due date, then I will look into induction.

It is not so much that I am getting uncomfortable with my pregnant body, I have learned to live with it and even accept it. No, I am just ready to have this baby that we have been planning for, praying for and anxiously expecting. About 3 weeks ago I was pretty nervous about Audrey coming because I felt so unready. But now we have the nursery finished (check), all of her clothes washed (check) the various baby items assembled (check), her baby bag packed (check), the car seat assembled in the car (check), and my bags packed (double check).

The only real major dilemna is that I am going out of my mind waiting!

However, on a slightly different avenue, Audrey's delayed arrival has given us some much needed time to sort out our new insurance. As of the first of September we were officially covered by Matthew's insurance (even though we had not heard from the insurance company). We thought we'd give them a call and make sure that we were all ready for the hospital visit. Come to find out they had no record of us : { . So very quickly we jumped on the ball to get our insurance information and find out exactly what our new insurance covered. The hospital we had done all our childbirthing preparation with and the one we were planning on delivering at, was NOT covered by our new insurance. SHOCK, SHOCK! So hopefully we will get everything cleared and ironed out for our little Audrey's arrival. (Doesn't God work in mysterious ways!)

37 Weeks and Holding...

2006-08-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Audrey's Nursery (my mom made the curtain and dust ruffle; Amanda made the "Audrey's Room" sign).

Yesterday was my first "Once-a-week" visit to the doctor. This was the first appointment where the doctor checked to see if I had dilated yet. At week 37 the baby is considered full term, so Audrey could come anytime now. Although she is ready to come out of the oven, I have still not dilated yet and I am not in any hurry.

Saturday my mom came up to Tyler to help me finish the baby room and get last minute items. My mom is probably more excited about Audrey's arrival than I am (She has nothing to worry about: she does not have to go through pain and she knows what it is like having a kids). Since we have finished the baby room, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I am not as scared about Audrey coming as I had felt. I still feel like there is so much I still need to do but I know that I will never be completely ready for a new baby.

Audrey's Crib (I painted her name)

The doctor said that I was measuring about 38 centimeters at week 37. I had gained two pounds in the past week and Audrey is in position for coming out. A little over a week ago I started experiencing menstrual type cramping and the doctor said that these cramps can be considered false contractions. He keeps reminding me that if the cramping is intense and does not go away with change in position or by eating something, then I should go to the hospital. It is really neat to think that we could have a little baby here at anytime. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Ladybug Shower

2006-08-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Me and my hostesses (Dene, Amanda, Brooke, Janet, Cheri, Lauren not in picture)

A couple of weekends ago I had the last baby shower before the baby comes. It was the blowout baby shower of the summer! My Mom and a close friend Amanda, headed up the shower with the help of four other ladies. Since the shower was at my Mom's house and I was staying with her that weekend, I got to see the behind the scenes work that went into this awesome baby shower.
The first two baby showers I had were kind of early in the pregnancy and we did not know exactly how we wanted to decorate the baby's room . For this last shower we had already picked a theme and were running with full force in the the direction of "Ladybugs". So it was neat to have a baby shower that was centered around ladybugs and to see what kind of odds and ends others had picked out to decorate with.
At the shower we had games, food, and lots of friends. I just want to take a quick moment to thank all of you who helped with the baby shower and all the effort and love that went into such a great party. I also want to thank all of you for the sweet baby gifts.

(My Mother-n-Law, Me and my Mom)

There are rare occasions where you will be in the middle of an event and realize that "this is a special moment I will remember for the rest of my life", well this baby shower was one of those moments for me.

Baby report: We are at 36 weeks and counting! Audrey will be here in about 4 weeks give or take. We are taking birthing classes, getting a pediatrician squared away, assembling all the necessary baby items, and getting very excited/nervous about meeting and seeing our little girl.

Our Little Cutie!

2006-08-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Audrey's face: lips are open with nose above, hand is kind of hidding chin.

We have found a doctor in Tyler and have started child-birthing classes. We are really pleased with our new doctor and the technology and efficiency of the office staff.
On Monday we had our first appointment with our new doctor. We got to listen to the baby's heartbeat. We voiced our concern of a low lying placenta that was seen at our last sonogram, so our doctor scheduled for us to come in for another sonogram today to get information on the status of our baby.
Audrey's face: you can see chubby cheeks, hand / foot still blocking chin area!

Every time I see a sonogram of our baby I am amazed at the technology of our times and of the miracle of the baby inside me. It was re-confirmed that our baby is 100% girl and that she is healthy. The person performing the sonogram checked out baby Audrey's organs and vital signs. It was awesome to see how her body had progressed since our last sonogram. Her bones looked stronger and she looked like she was really filling out to be a plump baby.
Matthew said she had chubby cheeks like me and that it would be hard for those cheeks to fit through the birth canal. I think she has Matthew's forehead...Big! We are both ecstatic and proud of our little girl.
Audrey's face: She's kind of all squished up (placenta is half circle to left of face).

I never imagined myself going to a birthing class but here we are doing the new parent thing. The class was just like they portray them on TV. We practiced breathing through fake labor pains. We learned how to He...He...He...Hoo (Who)! Matthew and I keep talking about how he needs to talk to me as if he were hypnotizing me or leading me through a deep relaxation session. We keep picturing the scene from Office Space where the main guy gets hypnotized by a big guy who has a heartattack in the middle of the session. "Relax....Deeper and Deeper.....Deeper and Deeper..."

Celebrating Friends and Relationships

2006-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Carissa and I outside of Don Juan's

This week has been one of celebration and remembrance. Monday, the day after I got back from my family trip to Arkansas to see Jeremy and Eliza, I got to have lunch with an old friend. Because both she and I have blogs, she was able to find my blog and we were able to get re-connected. It was so good to see Carissa after almost three years of not seeing or communicating with each other. We met the first week we lived in the dorms our freshman year. She and her roommate lived about three doors down and we started hanging out all the time. Through the four and a half years we were at ACU we had some good times!

Matthew and I on our way home from dinner.

Along the lines of remembrance and celebration, Matthew and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary on Tuesday, the 25th of July. It seems like it was a long time ago that we were married but I know for all of you that have been married a while three years is nothing in comparison to 25 or 50 years of marriage. To celebrate we were planning on participating in our second annual ritual of going to a Japanese Hibachi grill. (The first year we were married we had our first dinner as a married couple at a Japanese steak house in Galveston, TX. Last year since Matthew was in the middle of taking the Bar Exam we were unable to celebrate a whole lot.) After making reservations to dine at a local Japanese steak house, we were invited to dine with Matthews uncle and aunt in Longview to celebrate his cousin's birthday. We accepted the offer and had a great time. Audrey, our little bun in the oven, was kicking up a storm making it hard for me to really enjoy being stuffed.
To continue with our Anniversary celebrating we are going to stay in a B&B in Palestine, TX tonight and then tomorrow take a trip on an old fashion Texas Railroad that goes through a state park. Since we are in the final days of non-childrendom we are living it up and trying to have as much fun as non-parents as we can. We are looking forward to our new baby but we are still nervous about how our lives will change and how expensive kids can be. For those of you who are keeping track of our count down we are at 33 weeks, at the beginning of our 8th month. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

We're in Tyler!

2006-07-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Many of you may know that we have moved to Tyler, TX. Our decision to move came around the middle of May. Matthew had applied to so many different jobs and finally after 8 long months of prayer and hoping Matthew got an interview for an Assistant District Attorney's position. A little over a week later Matthew was in Tyler starting his new job!
I stayed in Georgetown to wrap up my job and pack-up the house. The month we were apart was really hard on both of us but God got us through. I was glad to quit my job due to the level of stress becoming greater and the need to prepare for our baby's arrival this fall. (However, I am really going to miss all the people that I worked with and the friends we made while in the Austin area.)
It is truly amazing how in the span of a couple of months our lives were flipped. I went from being the bread-winner to becoming a stay at home mom and Matthew went from desperately searching for a job to becoming the bread-winner and loving it.
God is amazing in how His timing happens just when we need it most. Thanks to all of you who have encouraged us and kept us in your prayers. (Stay tuned for more updates on the baby girl!)

It's....A GIRL!!!!

2006-05-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

We have some long awaited news! Matthew and I are going to have a little girl! We have been waiting for my 20 week (actually 24 week) check up for some time. Not only were we going to find out the gender of our child but I was going to under-go Gestational Diabetes blood testing. (Disclaimer: I hate needles of any sort...so this was a big deal to me).
Backing things up a bit to the night before our doctor's appointment. The night before I was so excited and nervous about finding out what gender our child was going to be. I was planning baby room ideas and mapping out the best places to register and how to get there the quickest. Matthew was not sure why I felt the need to stay up all night planning for this doctor's appointment when we would have 18 plus years to get used to the idea of our kid. The next day I was so excited that I woke up an hour before I needed to and started urging Matthew to get up as well.
By the time we got to the doctor's office I was ready. I had a snack prepared for after the appointment, a camera, a blank video tape to record our child's movements, thank you cards for the doctor's staff and lists of what to register for.
When we got into the sonogram room we were so excited and ready to find out how our baby was doing. I think the doctor could have told us we were having a monkey and we still would have been thrilled.
Matthew was all smiles as he watched the doctor locate each part of our baby. I was so astounded at how intricate the baby's body was formed. God is truly the miracle maker when it comes to babies.

Half Way there...and counting

2006-04-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Since the last posting we have had two doctors visits. The first visit included blood testing and heart-beat listening. Each time we hear the heart beat, it keeps getting stronger and stronger. It is so reaffirming to hear the baby's heart beat and to know that our baby is still doing well and that the dogs' jumping off my belly has not caused harm.

Speaking of the dogs...we are so ready to have kids that we sent our dogs on an Easter egg hunt looking for treats. At first the dogs could not figure out what we wanted them to do but when we would point to an egg and say "TREAT", they would rush over and sniff the plastic egg. Joan, our oldest and smartest dog, would follow the scent we had left from hiding the eggs. She would find an egg, put it in her mouth and crack it open to reveal the treat.

Back to our baby...on our second doctor's visit the only big thing that happened was hearing the baby's heart again but this time the doctor did not have to search for the heart beat. The minute the doctor put the device to my stomach, we could hear the baby's ticker. At this last visit we had a list of questions we wanted to quiz the doctor on and make sure we had not picked a terrible doctor.... he measured up nicely.

Next time we go to the doctor's office we will get to find out what the baby is...whether it is a human or not...oops I mean a girl or boy. I will also be test for gestational diabetes which can rise up only during pregnancy for some women. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts and let us know if you have any job leads for Matthew.

2 down, 7 more to go

2006-02-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

So far I have already had three visits to the doctor to check our baby out. On our first visit, Matthew and I got a big confirmation that we were pregnant with a sonogram. It was so neat to see what God can do without you even knowing about it. The sonogram did not show much but it did confirm that there was something going on inside of me. (black spot in picture is womb)
Our doctor asked us to come back the following week (5weeks) to confirm that there was a baby inside and to get a better idea of when we would be expecting our Wee-one. It was so awesome to see a creature inside me. I could even see it's little heart flashing. I started tearing up and realized how amazing God is. (baby is in left side of womb)
On our third visit (10 weeks), four weeks later, my mom was able to come down from Waco to join us. We were going to hear the heartbeat and then go out and baby shop. We were hoping to see the baby but all that the doctor did was move a small device across my abdomen with a radio-machine attached to pick up the baby's heartbeat. First we heard a loud whom-whom-whom, which was my heartbeat. Then the doctor shifted his device and we heard whim-whim-whim-whim, the baby's heartbeat! The heartbeat was not as fast as we had thought it would be but it sure was a strong a steady beat.
We are not due to go back to the doctor for another five weeks. At that point we will be 16 weeks along and into the second trimester. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and for a healthy pregnancy.

God's little blessing

2006-02-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

This new year has been a bit rocky for us...even before the calendar rolled over. As many of you may know, Matthew lost his job back in September and has been searching for employment for sometime. In the midst of everything looking more and more bleak...God suprised us with a wonderful miracle. Around the first of the year we found out that we were expecting a precious little baby. Our first thoughts were of shock and dismay. But as the news started settling in to our minds we became excited and expectant.
Now that we are 2 months into this 9 month journey, we know that God has given us this baby for a reason in the midst of our chaotic lives. We have a ray of sunshine that was not there 2 months earlier. Isn't God wonderful in how and when he sends his blessings. Although we are greatly excited by our news we are still waiting and wondering what God will do about providing Matthew with a job. We ask for your prayers and encouragement right now as we look to God.